Sarah Bireete, a good governance activist and executive director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance has been remanded until January 21, 2026 when her bail application will be heard.
Bireete was today arraigned before Buganda Road magistrates court and charged with unlawfully obtaining and sharing personal data belonging to registered voters.
According to the charge sheet, she is accused of accessing and disclosing National Voter Information without the consent of the Electoral Commission (EC). Prosecutors allege that the offences were committed between January and December 2025, in collaboration with other suspects who are still at large.
Court heard that the prosecution intends to rely on provisions of the Data Protection and Privacy Act and electoral laws that restrict access to voters’ data to authorised institutions and officials. The state claims that the alleged actions posed a risk to the integrity of the voters’ register and the electoral process ahead of the 2026 general elections.
In the dock, Bireete dressed in a greenm floral dress appeared calm and constantly smiled. She did not take plea, as the offences are triable by a higher court. The magistrate remanded her to custody until January 21, six days after the general elections.
Her lawyers challenged the circumstances of her arrest and detention.
Bireete was arrested on December 30 2025 following a joint police and military operation at her residence in Kampala. Her arrest drew condemnation from human rights organisations and civil society groups, who described it as part of a growing crackdown on dissent and pro-democracy activism in the run-up to the elections.
She has been a vocal critic of the government frequently questioning the credibility of electoral processes and advocating for constitutionalism, rule of law and political accountability in Uganda.
